Stay Tuned: More undead fun on the final season of ‘iZombie’

Tuesday

Apr 30, 2019 at 10:23 AMApr 30, 2019 at 10:23 AM

Seattle’s zombies return, vintage technology gets a makeover and the R. Kelly docuseries continues to make an impact.

Dispatches: Weekly TV newsPromoting a parody of the aftershow format, Fox recently announced that it has ordered nine-episodes of “What Just Happened??! With Fred Savage,” a real aftershow for a fake drama series called “The Flare.” “The Flare,” is based on fictional author T.J. Whitford’s science fiction book series, “The Moon is the Sun at Night.” Savage is a fan of the fake books so he’s hosting the real aftershow, which will feature celebrity interviews, set visits to “The Flare,” conversations with fans and interviews with the fake show’s “cast.” To recap, “The Flare” is fake but “What Just Happened??! With Fred Savage” is real. It premieres on Fox June 30.

“Liar” is getting a second season. The ITV and Sundance TV series starring “Downton Abbey” alum Joanne Froggatt and “Fantastic Four’s” Ioan Gruffudd is in production in the U.K. The six-part drama series about a serial rapist and the woman who brings him down, picks up three weeks after the action of season one.

Contenders: Shows to keep on your radar“iZombie” starts its final season picking up from where it left off (May 2, The CW, 8 p.m. ET). Liv’s (Rose McIver) decision to fully embrace her renegade persona has left her in an uncertain relationship with on-off boyfriend Major (Robert Buckley) who has assumed control of Fillmore-Graves. A zombie show that mixes humor with social, political and relationship issues, “iZombie” is a fun take on the genre.

Learn how to prepare for a zombie attack or any regular doomsday scenario with Beau Boruff on “Masters of Disaster” (May 3, Discovery, 10 p.m. ET). A mechanic and owner of Survival Research Inc., Boruff leads a crew who find, restore and sell vintage technology that might be useful in the case of a catastrophe. Some of the repurposing Boruff and crew demonstrate is how a whiskey still can be used to create ethanol and how a 1920s well drilling rig can be used to find fresh water.

“Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact” (May 4, Lifetime, 10 p.m. ET) is a two-hour follow-up special to the network’s record-breaking premiere of “Surviving R. Kelly.” Seven weeks after the January broadcast of the original docuseries, the Cook County attorney’s office indicted the R&B singer on 10 felony counts of aggravated sexual assault. The new special features footage from the docuseries, as well as interviews with journalists, legal experts, non-profit organizations and psychologists. They will discuss the ongoing story, the women who are still standing by R. Kelly and the singer’s controversial interview with Gayle King. Journalist Soledad O’Brien hosts.

After “The White Queen,” and “The White Princess,” comes “The Spanish Princess” (May 4, Starz, 8 p.m. ET). The story focuses on Catherine of Aragon (Charlotte Hope) who comes to England with ambitious plans for her role in the Tudor royal court.

Report Card: A look at ratings winners and losersWinners: “American Idol” hit a season high with more than 7 million viewers tuning in to the singing competition.

Losers: NBC is pulling “Blindspot” from its schedule until the end of May, which isn’t a good sign for a return next season.Melissa Crawley is the author of “Mr. Sorkin Goes to Washington: Shaping the President on Television’s ‘The West Wing.’” She has a Ph.D. in media studies and is a member of the Television Critics Association. To comment on Stay Tuned, email her at staytuned@outlook.com or follow her on Twitter at @mcstaytuned.

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